WISN 12 News' Patrick Paolantonio asked experts what steps to take now if you are halfway to retirement.

It takes a lot of work, to build your own business. When Melanie and Dave Sobelman started, it was just the two of them.

"I was the cook. She was the bartender," Dave Sobelman said.

Now, Sobelman's Pub and Grill is a much bigger operation with 65 employees and two locations.

The Sobelmans spent the past 14 years, building their burger business and even longer, building their nest egg.

"We're pretty frugal. We do save a lot. We put, you know, we put things aside. We invest," Melanie Sobelman said.

They are always thinking about tomorrow.

"I don't see us retiring. I see us taking a step back. You know, hoping that maybe our children will get involved in the business," Melanie Sobelman said.

"We still want to come to work every day," Dave Sobleman said.

"We do," Melanie Sobelman said.

The Sobelmans are in their 40s. While they plan to stay in the workforce come their golden years, others their age might not have a choice.

"Generation X has lower savings rates than older groups. They have lower wealth levels than older groups, and they have higher debt," said Erin Currier of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

The Pew Charitable Trusts took a look at the retirement security of different age groups.

It found the typical Gen Xer, born between 1966 and 1975, took a harder hit in the recession than older generations, losing nearly half their wealth and could face downward mobility in retirement.

"It means that if they want to maintain the standard of living that they are enjoying now in terms of the income that they're bringing in, they won't be able to do that. Their savings and wealth levels will not support the same amount of income that they have while they're in the labor market," Currier said.

An eye-opener, but not all is doom and gloom, according to certified financial planner, Tony Drake.

"There are certainly steps you can take, you know? One of those big steps is certainly to try to reduce your debt," Drake said.

Drake said it's about paying off debt, reducing spending and sticking to a plan.

"If we can make some better choices, maybe the Toyota instead of the Lexus. If the budget's tight. We want to have that savings plan in place. We certainly recommend that people save enough to replace about 70 to 100 percent of their pre-retirement income for use in retirement, certainly," Drake said.

The Sobelmans said they started saving and planning ahead more than 20 years ago.

"I don't know what the next 20 years might be like, but I think that we're in a really good spot right now," Melanie Sobelman said.

"We're in a good spot," Dave Sobelman said.

Pew said the research looks at the typical Gen Xer, meaning half are more prepared, half are less prepared for retirement.

It also assumes Social Security stays the same as it is now. Any drastic changes could change the situation.